Water-level indicator.



PATENTED MAY 12 J. DEWEANGE; WATER LEVEL INDICATOR.

APPLIOATIUN FILED AUG. 2. 1901.

L .E D 0 M 0. 4E

ma Nonma paens m4 PwcnmkmmI wAsmNoYoN. u. c.

Nmap rares Patented May 12, 1903.-

` ATENT OFFICE.

WATER-LEVEL INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 727,599, dated May 12, 1903.

Application 'led August 2, 1901. Serial No. 70,657. (No model.)A i

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known thatI, JOHN DEWRANCE, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 165 Great Dover streetouthwark, in the county of Surrey, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in 7a- Ier-Level Indicators, (in respect whereof I have applied for a patent in Great Britain, to

Ybear date February 5, 1901, No. 2,5l7,) of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved meth.- od of constructing and working water-gages provided with automatic valves, with the object of effecting a blow-otf through the npper arm and gageglass and through the lower arm, respectively, at successive stages in the complete operation of a mechanical appliance specially designed for the purpose.

Tater-gages as commonly constructed comprise two arms adapted for attachment to the boiler-front and furnished with cocks, whereby the steam and water, respectively, may when necessary be shut off. Between the two arms a gage-glass is mounted, and the lower arm is in addition provided with a blowthrough cock. l/Vhen it is desired to provide against the escape of steam or water in the event of the gage-glass bursting or being broken, each arm is usually furnished with a ball-valve, which under normal conditions is off its seat, but which upon fracture of the gage-glass instantly seats itself and intercepts the escape of the steam or other fluid under pressure. When using a-water-gage of this description, it is necessary when blowing through the upper arm and gageglass not simply to close the cock in the lower arm and open the blow-through cock, but to adopt some means for preventing the ball-valve at the upper end of the gage-glass seating or for displacing it if seated.

It may be remarked that in order to insure that the level of the water shown in the gageglass corresponds with that in the boiler it is essential that the passages through the upper and lower arms should both be quite clear. Opening the blow-through cocks is not by itself sufficient to determine that the gage is in proper working order. It is necessary to open the blow-through cock iirst with one passage open and the other closed and then with the latter open and the former closed. Mechanism has been applied to the shut-off cocks for systematically accomplishing these operations; but it is undesirable that the shut-off cocks should` be interfered with; and my invention is accordingly designed to accomplish the objects in view by suitably manipulating the automatic valves and the blow-through cock without interfering with the upper and lowershut-oif cocks,both of which remain constantly open.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a water-level indicator constructed according to my improved method and wherein the automatic shut-off valves may be alternately unseated, so as to enable a blow-off' to be effected through the lower and upper arms consecutively by the movement of a single handle. Fig. 2 is a corresponding elevation. Figs. 3 and Ll: are horizontal sections through the upper and lower arms, respectively.M Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 0c a; in Fig. 1.

The mechanism illustrated by way of example and adapted for working or controlling the automatic valves in order to accomplish the objects above described comprises a vertical spindle A, which passes through the respective (upper and lower) valve-chambers B and B and has mounted upon it bodies C and C, pertaining, respectively, to the upper and lower valves.' The bodyV C carries projections or fingers c c, whilethe body C carries projections or lingers c c', adapted 'in each instance to act both as strikers to unseat the automatic valves bh and as guards to prevent their regaining their seats otherwise than when the particular stage reached requires that one or the other or both of them should do so. The bodies C and C' are each formed with an inclined surface e0 0X, whereon the Valve b or b' rests or travels to or from its seating. The spindle A may extend to a point within convenient reach 'of vthevattendant and be fitted at A with a hand-wheel. Upon a rotative movement, preferably a complete revolution, being imparted to the spindle A the automatic valves h b', controlling the upper and lower arms, as also the blowthrough cock, are successively operated in such a manner as to bring about, lfirst, a

IOO

blow through the one arm, subsequently a blow through the other arm, and ultimately to leave the apparatus in its normal working condition, so that the automatic valves are in a position to shut off the water and steam in the event of the gage-glass breaking.

The operation is as follows: In the drawings the parts are shown in their normal working positions Assuming it is desired to effecta blow-through, the spindle A is turned, say, in the direction of the arrow, Fig. l, through an angle of ninety degress. This movement has the effect of opening the valve b', owing to the openings c2 and c5 being brought into alinement with the passage 19X in the valvechamber B, the ball b' being held oif its seating by the fingers c. At the same time the valve bis allowed to seat, owing to the openings c4 and c5 coming into alinement with the passage bo in the valve-chamber B, the ball b entering the opening c4and by means of the steam-pressure closing the passage d to the gage-glass D. Thus the equilibrium in the latter is disturbed, resulting in a blow through the lower arm.

E is the blow-off cock, and F a nozzle adapted for the reception of a .waste pipe. By turning the spindle Athrough a further angle of ninety degrees both the valves b and b will be opened, or, in other words, equilibrium will be restored. A similar degree of rotation of the spindle A, however, in the same direction has the eect of bringing the openings c2 c3 again in alinement with the passage bx; but the valve b is now forced into the opening c3 against its seating, thereby cutting od or closing the passage d to the gage-glass D. The equilibrium is thus again disturbed and a blow through the upper arm effected. Upon imparting another quarter of a revolution to -the spindle A the valves b b' are returned to their normal working positions, in which they are capable of shutting referred to as the lower arm becomes the upper arm, and vice versa.

I/Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a water-level indicator, for steam-generators and the like, provided with automatic valves, the herein-described means for enabling a blow-off7 to be effected through the lower and upper arms consecutively as the result of a complete rotative movement and without interfering with the shut-off valves, such means comprising a spindle arranged to traverse the upper and lower arm passages, automaticvalves respectively located in the said passages, and bars or projections formed in or upon the said spindle atits points of intersection with the passages, the said bars or projections being suitably shaped to unseat or to prevent the seating of the automatic Valves inclosed within them, substantially as herein described.

2. The herein-described means for working or controlling the automatic valves of waterlevel indicators for steam-generators-and the like comprising upper and lower ballvalves, chambers for said Valves, a vertical spindle which passes through the lower and upper valve chambers and has mounted thereon bodies carrying projections or fingers adapted to serve both as strikers to unseat the valves and as guards to prevent them regaining their seats excepting when the conditions require they should do so, substantially as set forth.

5. Forworkingorcontrollingtheautomatic valves of water-level indicators for steamgenerators and the like, a spindle A having bodies C C mounted thereon which receive the ball-valves, the said bodies carrying projections or fingers c c and having formed therein inclined surfaces o0 0X, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. JOHN DEWRANCE.

Witnesses:

WM. O. BROWN, IRENO FRANCO VELHO. 

